Where does “bitter” come from?
bitter (Middle English) comes from Old English bitter, from Old English biter, from Old Norse bitr, from Proto-Germanic bitraz, from Proto-Indo-European bʰidrós — biting, splitting.
Ancestry of “bitter”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Old English | bitter | Alternative form of biter |
| 2 | Old English | biter | bitter; bitter, severe, painful, biting |
| 3 | Old Norse | bitr | bitter |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | bitraz | bitter |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰidrós | biting, splitting |
Words derived from “bitter”